Audience

Resource

Author

Big Questions

Opening Activity

Think back to your own days as a student. What is one great lesson that stands out to you? What made the lesson a positive experience? How did it affect your desire to continue learning?

Discussion Questions

According to the speaker, why is it necessary to learn about the language of trees before the trees themselves?

What does the speaker learn from the language of the trees? What does he learn outside that he does not learn inside?

What is the “secret will/Pretending obedience to Nature” that the poet describes?

What role does language play in all of our learning? Is there a basic vocabulary we need before we can understand the world?

In your own classroom, how do you recognize when students are “sufficiently provided” to move on?

Closing Activity

Again, think back to your days as a student. Was there ever a lesson that did not prepare you sufficiently for an experience outside of the classroom? What was missing from this lesson? What would you tell your young self now about that experience?